"Showtime" began as 20-year-old rookie Magic Johnson inspired this talented team to first in the Pacific Division. After four close games in the Finals, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 33, turned in a 40-point performance in Game 5 despite spraining his ankle. With Abdul-Jabbar out, Johnson stepped up in Game 6 with 42 points and 15 rebounds.

The Lakers came into the season smarting from a surprising loss to Houston in the first round of the 1981 playoffs. With Johnson back from a knee injury and the additions of Coach Pat Riley and sixth man Bob McAdoo, the Lakers swept Phoenix and San Antonio (average margin of victory, 11 points) in going 12-2 in the playoffs.

Johnson's 12.6 assists a game fueled Showtime and complemented the 22.0 and 17.6 scoring averages of Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. A year removed from yet another loss to Boston in the Finals, the Lakers finally got revenge. After a brutal 148-114 loss in Game 1, known as the "Memorial Day Massacre," L.A. came back to defeat Boston in the Finals for the first time.

Following one of only two seasons in which they didn't make the NBA Finals in the '80s, the Lakers won 65 games and continued to dominate in the playoffs. They went 11-1 to reach the championship series. Johnson took his place as the top man on the team, leading in points (23.9), assists (12.2) and steals (1.7). He was named regular-season and Finals most valuable player.

With Abdul-Jabbar 41 and in his next-to-last season, Worthy and Byron Scott stepped up, combining to average 41.4 points in the regular season, with a boost from Johnson's 11.9 assists. The playoffs were arduous, the Lakers going the full seven games in the last three rounds before securing the first consecutive titles in the NBA since Boston in 1968 and '69.

Four years after signing with the Lakers as a free agent, Shaquille O'Neal delivered the first of his three titles. He averaged 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds in the regular season. Kobe Bryant chipped in with 22.5 points, and Phil Jackson took home his seventh NBA title as a coach. The Lakers' 67-15 record led the West and they were 15-8 in the playoffs.

The veteran Lakers cruised through the regular season. O'Neal led the team in scoring at 28.7 points a game, closely followed by Bryant's 28.5. The Lakers swept all three rounds of the West playoffs to reach the Finals, where Allen Iverson and the 76ers handed them a Game 1 loss, the Lakers' only defeat of the playoffs.

The Lakers finished third in the Western Conference but defeated the teams holding the 1-2 slots on the way to their third consecutive championship. They handled San Antonio, 4-1, and barely got past Sacramento, 4-3, in the West finals before sweeping New Jersey in the NBA Finals. O'Neal and Bryant combined to average 52.4 points and lead the Lakers to a 58-24 regular season, before the 15-4 playoff run.

After a tumultuous rebuilding process, Bryant won his first championship without O'Neal. The Lakers went 16-7 in the playoffs and, with the help of big man Pau Gasol, Bryant and Jackson won their fourth championship together. Bryant was named Finals MVP for the first time.

The Lakers had the West's best record and reached the Finals for a third straight year. They acquired Ron Artest to add toughness to a team rich in height and talent. Though sometimes confused and often confusing to teammates and coaches, Artest meshed with a core that still included Bryant, Gasol and Lamar Odom as L.A. beat Boston for the franchise's 16th title.